Ticket prices
Friends qualify for 20% off ticket prices (excluding one nighters and shows
marked with no concessions). Superseats – Stalls rows F & G have lots of extra
legroom... think business class! A small premium will usually apply. Prices are
fixed on new shows* for the period from Mon 11 – Fri 15 Mar 2019, after this time,
prices may change.

Sundays are a day for relaxation, great
food and good company. So gather up
your friends and family and let us share
with you our legendary Sunday lunch.

Matthew Bourne’s legendary Swan Lake returns to the Theatre
Royal in May 2019. Friends’ Patron – Matthew Bourne,
describes how he feels about bringing it back on tour.
You first staged Swan Lake in 1995, and it went on to become
the longest running ballet on the West End and Broadway. It is
still now, perhaps your best-known and best-loved piece of
work. With all of its success and rich history, how do you feel
about the prospect of bringing it back to UK audiences for the
upcoming 2018/19 tour?

2 courses £20 // 3 courses £25

Ranked among the top 25 Sunday
lunches in the UK by The Times

It’s always exciting to bring back Swan Lake. So many people love
it, and you know they’re going to want to come and see it again
and bring friends and family to watch it who didn’t see it last time.
That is the growth of the show over the years I think – the fact that
people want other people to come and see it.

There’s also a whole new generation of young people who won’t
have seen it. We know, even from discussions with the cast we
have at the moment, how inspiring this piece can be for young
people who see the piece and then want to go on to a career in
theatre, or particularly dance. Many of the men in the show, and in
fact the women too, first came to dance through this piece having
been taken to see it by their parents, or perhaps by their dance
school, and now they’re in it themselves.
It still seems to move and inspire people and therefore we get
excited about doing it because that’s what we’re here for. We’re
here to entertain.
The new staging of the show is being presented as having a
fresh look for the 21st century. Why did you decide to restage the
show now; and as the show has been seen by millions of people
worldwide over the years is it a bigger challenge to revisit this
work than other shows in your repertoire because audiences are
so passionate about it and know it so well?
It’s an interesting point about changing a piece that is so
well-known and so well-loved. We’ve made these changes for
several reasons – one being that it’s been around for 23 years now
since we first made the piece and Lez Brotherston (Set & Costume
Design) and I felt it was a great opportunity to refresh it. I wouldn’t
say we’re changing it enormously but refreshing it for this next
period of time. It may change again in the future, who knows, but I
think whilst we’re still excited about the piece and we feel we’ve
got this opportunity, so it seems a great chance to do it.
Everything we’ve done to the piece has been mindful of the fact
that people already love the piece – and that’s not different from
many other projects that I’ve taken on actually.
For many people seeing the new version of Swan Lake they
probably won’t recognise many of the changes we’ve made, and I
think they will feel they are still seeing the same piece. We will
know however, that we’ve made hundreds of little changes. It

won’t be such big changes that people will think ‘oh what did you
do that for?’ or ‘why did you lose that great idea?’. Maybe there will
be one or two things that big fans of the show will miss, but I think
generally speaking we’re celebrating the piece that already exists.
We have a new lighting designer, Paule Constable, as one of our
associates for the piece. Paule has never seen our Swan Lake
before – not on film or on stage – so we’ll get a completely fresh
approach from Paule and I don’t know what it will look like yet. It’s
definitely going to look different, as Paule’s a different kind of
designer, so that will be a big change.
We’ve got a completely new cast as well. There are lots of new
dancers who will bring their own interpretations to the piece, as
they do with all our shows and that keeps the pieces fresh and
alive.
I certainly don’t think audiences who already love the piece will be
in any way disappointed.
Adam Cooper played the original Swan/Stranger. His
performance, perhaps more than any other within the last quarter
of a century, seems to have instigated a huge rise in the number
of boys and young men wanting to pursue dance as a career;
and of course, this was reflected in the film, Billy Elliot. Will
Bozier, who will be playing the Swan/Stranger in the new
production himself credits Adam’s performance as being his
inspiration to become a professional dancer. Were you surprised
by the scale of the impact Swan Lake had on young dancers?
Obviously when we made Swan Lake we didn’t know that it would
have the impact it’s had, but over the years I’ve come to realise that
it’s been the trigger for a lot of boys and young men going into dance.
I think it felt like something very cool and very masculine, yet it
required a lot of artistry and sensitivity, so it was that mixture of
things, I think, that really inspired a lot of young men to want to get
into dance and to want to be a Swan, which is borne out by every
member of our cast virtually who grew up with this piece.
I find that a lovely aspect of the show now, as it’s so meaningful for
the people in it. They really want to be in it and it’s their ambition to
be in it. There aren’t many shows where you can say that you’ve
got an entire cast of people whose burning ambition it is to be in
the piece, so you get a wonderful connection with the dancers and
a wonderful sense of community.
Continued over

You took Swan Lake in a completely different direction from the
versions that had gone before it. What motivated and inspired
you to do that; and why was it important to you to set this
classical ballet in a more contemporary world and to invite
people to view it from an alternative perspective?
Well, I didn’t see any point in creating a Swan Lake that was similar
to any of the others that were around, because there were certainly a
lot of those! Mostly they were classical versions – all a bit different
but all telling a similar story – and so this version had to be different.
We’re not a classical company and we don’t dance ‘en pointe’
usually (well, we have from time to time since then, for example
with The Red Shoes, but it certainly wasn’t something we were
doing back then.)
We’re a contemporary dance theatre company, so we had to tell a
story through movement, in a different way, and it needed a big
idea to make people see it in a different way as well.
So, the male swans were the big idea and a secondary big idea
was modern Royal scandal. This was in the news all the time whilst
we were making the piece, with Diana & Charles, and Sarah
Ferguson, and Camilla Parker-Bowles, and Princess Margaret. All
of these stories were daily news during the making of the show.
And so, it was very topical thing to have a Prince who couldn’t be
the person he really was, or to be with the person he wanted to be
with - all very relevant to contemporary Britain and contemporary
Royalty. So, we’re still telling the same story – it’s still about a Royal
family, but a modern Royal family.
I thought that would be picked up on quite a lot when the show
was first seen, but actually the attention was much more on the
use of the male swans. It was such an iconic image for people to
have a male dancing swan. It was very unexpected, and people
couldn’t imagine it what it was going to look like. They all thought it
was going to be a send-up and that it was going to be a humorous
piece. There is a bit of humour in it but the main bulk of it isn’t. We
needed an idea that could wipe away everyone’s existing memories
and images in their heads of the piece, as they had perhaps seen it
before in other versions, and the swans did that very well.
You list Alfred Hitchcock’s film from 1963, The Birds, as one of
your inspirations for the staging and choreography of the show.
Can you tell us a little bit about that?
Our production of Swan Lake is not a piece that has an enormous
number of movies that are obviously attached to it, like some of our
pieces do. This inspiration is much more coming from the classical
ballet and the story that that tells and using those formalities
sometimes in the way we tell our story and the structure of it. It is,
as I’ve said, also about modern Royalty and the Royal family.
There’s also lots of little filmic things and characters that creep into
it, as always, because my head is full of those images. However,
the one piece, that people are usually surprised by initially and then
they go, ‘oh yes of course!’ is the inspiration that has come from
Alfred Hitchcock’s film, The Birds.

Matcham’s Numbers
Matcham’s Numbers is a prize draw that raises funds for the
Theatre Royal and gives those taking part the chance to win a
monthly cash prize. Over a twelve month period half of the total
income from the draw is given in prizes and the remainder is spent
by the Friends of the Theatre Royal on purchasing or replacing
items for the benefit of patrons and visiting companies.
All winners will be notified by post, with a list published in the
Friends’ newsletters.

If people know this movie there’s an amazing scene where the
main character, played by Tippi Hedren, is sitting on a park bench
powdering her nose, and there’s a children’s playground with
climbing frame in it behind her; and one bird swoops down onto it
and she looks around and notices the bird. And then, the next time
she lifts her compact mirror there’s a reflection in it and we see it’s
now absolutely full of birds and they’re all waiting to fly at her.

A letter from our Chairman for
the late Ex-Chairman Jim Ainslie

We do this with the Swans on the bed and that’s a direct quote from
The Birds. It’s the only story really where birds take over and attack
the humans. It’s an extraordinary story that’s never explained and I
think that’s rather good too; the fact that it just happens!

Jim joined the Friends’ Committee in 2009 and served it in various
capacities, including as Chairman from July 2015 to July 2018. Jim
was a gentleman in every sense of the word, had a wonderful
sense of humour, and it was a pleasure to work alongside him.

Could you tell us what you feel are the key themes of your
version of Swan Lake; and what if anything is the most important
message that you hoped to portray to the audience?

Jim was not only a fellow committee member, he was also a
personal friend, and I, and the fellow committee members, will miss
him greatly.

It is with great sadness that I must let you know that Jim Ainslie,
ex-Chairman, passed away on 5 Dec 2018 after losing his battle
with cancer.

As well as being on the Friends’ Committee, Jim also acted as a
school governor and supported several charities. He had a special
fondness for the RNLI, and especially for the Tynemouth RNLI
Station. In his memory we will be making a donation to the
Tynemouth Station.

I don’t like to dictate too much to people because I feel people do
see the piece in different ways, but for me ultimately it is about
someone struggling with who they are and the world they are in –
albeit quite an extraordinary world for how many people are
Royal?! But even so, we can relate to that. We can all relate to an
individual who in the society that they are in can’t really be who
they really are.

Jim was a great supporter of the Theatre Royal and attended on a
regular basis. His love for theatre was clear for all to see.
Our thoughts are with his wife, Carol, and their family.

I think the piece moves people because it has a message about
looking for acceptance; but it also moves people because it’s
about loss as well, and it’s about people that you’ve lost.
I feel those themes are very universal and very much things that
touch all of us. It’s a very human piece and global - both in its
message and in the way that it brings us all together.
I think it’s underestimated sometimes how far we’ve moved on with
this piece in the time it’s been on. When we first started to do it, we
had audiences walking out when the Prince and the Swan started
dancing together. We had little girls in tears that it wasn’t
performed with the tutus and pointe shoes, and things like that,
that they were expecting. We also had a slightly aggressive attitude
towards it from some members of the audience; and some people
refused to come and see it at all.
It got dubbed ‘the gay Swan Lake’, which was not what the aim
was, but it certainly was a story within it that was very meaningful
for gay audiences, and I celebrate that. I did then, and I do now. It
is a bit more wide-ranging than that too however, and it can really
be interpreted in many ways.
It’s accepted now by a much wider audience who come to see the
show and rather than be shocked by any element of it, I think they
find it uplifting that this is a story being told about a young man
who is confused about his future and about his sexuality. I think
that’s something that is very meaningful for young people in the
audience as well.
Matthew Bournes’ Swan Lake plays from Tue 7 – Sat 18 May 2019,
Box Office 08448 11 21 21
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may vary, please contact your operator for details.

Congratulations to our recent winners:
November – Mrs IM Watson (No. 239)
December – Mrs A Keir (No. 119)
January – Mr P Reynolds (No. 248)
Good luck to everyone taking part in future draws! To take part in
supporting the Theatre Royal and to give yourself the chance of
winning a cash prize, simply pay £12 per year (the equivalent of just
£1 a month)! Payments of £12 per year can be made through the
Theatre Royal Box Office either in person on or 0844 811 21 21.
Further information can be found by visiting the ‘Support’ section of
the website or by contacting Ashley Earnshaw on 0191 244 2511.

Swan Lake Open Rehearsals
Afternoon of Tue 14 May 2019, Newcastle Theatre Royal
(exact timings TBC)
Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures company have provided
us with a unique and exciting opportunity to watch the
company rehearse during their run of Swan Lake at the
Theatre Royal.
As rehearsal schedules are produced nearer to the time
of the production arriving in Newcastle, we are unable to
confirm the exact timings of this event but expect it to take
place on the afternoon of Tue 14 May 2019.

We are pleased to announce our Inside View Coffee Morning dates
for the Summer of 2019, and what a fantastic summer it’s shaping
up to be, starting off with the spectacular Joseph and finishing with
the eagerly awaited Les Misérables, so make sure you book your
tickets today to find out what really happens behind the scenes of
these fabulous shows!
Last year we were fortunate to share our coffee mornings with
some fabulous guests including Fern Britton, Anna-Jane Casey,
Denise Welch, Robert Powell, Sam Bailey, Nigel Havers, Stephen
Tompkinson, Denis Lawson and Jill Halfpenny; and then 2019
started off in similar fashion with the stars of our much loved
pantomime Goldilocks and the Three Bears who joined us to cure
the January blues.
Our Inside View events usually take place in the Olivier Suite, where
the doors will open at 10.30am for you to come in and enjoy a tea
or coffee and the opportunity to talk to other theatre goers in a
relaxing environment. Our guest arrives at 11am, ready to tell you
about their interesting stories before finishing with a Q&A session.
At each Inside View the Friends Committee hold a raffle with an
array of fantastic prizes. You have the opportunity to buy your
tickets prior to the talk starting and all contributions help towards
the running costs of the Theatre. The Theatre is a registered charity
so your contribution really does help.
Due to popularity it is advised to book your ticket in advance at the
Box Office but tickets can also be purchased on the morning
(subject to availability). The Inside View events are not just
restricted to Friends of the Theatre; you are more than welcome to
bring along a guest (maximum of two) as all funds raised help
towards the running of Friends’ events and to help raise funds for
the Theatre Royal.

As well as watching the rehearsal you will also be invited
to enjoy a tea or coffee in the Olivier Suite, this is included
within the ticket price.
Please ensure you provide the Box Office with updated
contact details at the time of booking (either a telephone
number or email address) so we can provide you with further
information nearer the time of the event. We expect tickets to
be snapped up very quickly for this event so early booking is
advised! (maximum of two guests per member)
Tickets: Friends £9, Guests £10
Box Office: 08448 11 21 21

Join us for an afternoon tea (sandwiches and scones) in the
company of our guest speaker, Dr Malcolm Grady.
Dr Grady is a lecturer with the Joseph Cowan Centre for Lifelong
Learning and a tutor with the WEA. He specialises in political and
social history of the 19th century and current affairs.

HIs talk on Hidden Newcastle will use a wide ranging set of photos
of buildings and places in Newcastle, largely linked to the 19c,
taken from unusual angles. How many of the buildings and places
can you identify before anyone else?

The next Friends’ AGM will take place on Sat 27 July 2019.

Tickets: Friends £10, Guests £11
Box Office: 08448 11 21 21

More details will be made available in the next issue of the Friends’
Newsletter.

Join the Friends of the Theatre Royal to celebrate the
wonderful work of William Shakespeare in the month of the
Bard’s anniversary.

Your participation is welcomed and if you would like to take
part by reading a sonnet, extract from a play or any other
appropriate piece, please contact Yvonne Richardson on
0191 488 0947 for further details (by Mon 8 April 2019).
Tickets: Friends £5, Guests £6
Box Office: 08448 11 21 21
Carol and Jim pictured with Sheridan Smith during the Funny Girl tour in May 2017